a

His and Lenition

Level 1

Possessive a meaning his lenites: a bhád. Before a vowel there is no h-prefix: a athair means his father.

How It Works

Possessive a meaning his lenites: a bhád. Before a vowel there is no h-prefix: a athair means his father.

A meaning his normally lenites a consonant but adds no h before a vowel. Because a also means her and their, the mutation helps distinguish the possessor. Context is still essential, especially before words with no visible mutation.

Examples (3)

  1. Seo a bhád.

    This is his boat.

  2. Tá a mhála anseo.

    His bag is here.

  3. Tá a athair sa bhaile.

    His father is at home.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

aLevel 1His and Lenition

Learn This First

Compare a leniting third-person possessive with the familiar mo pattern.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern